Softball: D'Ambrosio, Fremd rally past Elk Grove
Fremd's softball team trailed host Elk Grove 4-1 when Lexi D'Ambrosio stepped into the batter's box on Friday with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the fourth inning.
"I was just trying to be confident," said the sophomore catcher hitting in the No. 9 spot. "I knew I was facing a great pitcher (Elk Grove junior Kylie Thomsen, who is 7-2).
"I knew she had a good change-up. I was just trying to hit the ball and keep our team's confidence up."
D'Ambrosio got everyone up and out of the dugout to greet her at home plate after she walloped the ball out of the park for a grand slam.
Her blast over the left field fence gave Fremd a 5-4 lead and the Vikings went on to an 8-5 triumph that kept them (15-3, 6-1) a half-game behind Conant (12-2, 6-0) in the Mid-Suburban West.
"We had been in a little slump," D'Ambrosio said. "Now we know we are back."
D'Ambrosio came back in her next at-bat to give Fremd the lead again in the sixth inning.
Thomsen's double and senior Anna Bonder's RBI single to center had tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth.
But in the top of the sixth, D'Ambrosio's RBI single scored shortstop Reagan Schneider and gave Fremd a 6-5 lead.
D'Ambrosio then advanced all the way to third on Abby Iuorio's bunt single and came home on a wild pitch to make to it 7-5.
The Vikes got an insurance run in the seventh when Kylie Hess (2-for-3) reached on an infield hit and scored on Schneider's RBI single to right.
"We knew we could come back because we have a strong team," said D'Ambrosio (2-for-4), who had 5 of her team's 7 RBI. "We've done it before."
What D'Ambrosio hadn't done before is belt a grand slam in a high school varsity game and then be interviewed by cable TV announcers afterward.
"We were chasing 4 runs but we know this team won't go down without a fight," said Fremd coach Jim Weaver who notched career win No. 385 in 15 seasons. "We can score runs so we are never out of a game."
Schneider drove in 2 runs while going 2-for-3 with a walk. The other multiple hitter for the Vikes was Hess, who went 2-for-4, while teammates Iuorio and AnnMarie Sullivan (double) each had 1 hit. Becca Uhrich, who made a nice defensive play to end the game, drew 2 walks.
O'Sullivan was hit a by a pitch to start the Vikes' big 5-run rally in the fourth when they also took advantage of 2 walks and an error.
"They took advantage any time we opened the door," said Elk Grove coach Ken Grams. "We've got to learn how to shut down the door.
"But to score 5 runs off a good pitcher like theirs (sophomore Nikki Kehoe who is now 10-3), we've got to feel good. I was pleased with our hitting against a quality pitcher. Other parts of the game we didn't do so well.
Multiple hitters for the Grens were Haley Itzenthaler (2-for-4, RBI), Sarah Pauscher (2-for-4, RBI) and Anna Bonder (2-for-4, RBI).
Thomsen (double), Carly Crothers, Jessica Kearns and Keeley Cronin each had 1 hit.
Thomsen worked 3⅔ innings while Bonder went the final 3⅓ innings.
"It was a good ballgame, a good battle," Grams said. "I thought we hit the ball well all day. Their center fielder (Alyssa Garcia) made a couple of nice plays and their right fielder (Jessica Mazur) was in the right spot when we hit it there."
Mazur took a third hit away from Itzenthaler with a nice running catch to her right for the final out of the sixth inning.
"The kids are working hard to get back on track," said Weaver, whose club broke a three-game losing streak against the MSL East leaders (16-2, 6-2). "So I'm proud of them."